Bread Tales

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Fried Chickpeas/Hominy with Chorizo and Spinach

This recipe is adapted from the master of simplicity himself, Mark Bittman. It's a great crowd pleaser.

I had a few cans of hominy left over from previous posole recipes and was trying to find a way to incorporate them into a non-soup dish. This is the perfect answer. Canned hominy is about the same shape/consistency as chickpeas and holds the flavor of the chorizo and sherry just as well.

The bread crumbs are a bit much though, feel free to decrease the amount or neglect them altogether.

Makes: technically 4 servings, but this usually is gobbled down between two people

2. Put three tablespoons of the oil in a skillet large enough to hold chickpeas in one layer over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add chickpeas and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until chickpeas begin to brown, about 10 minutes, then add chorizo. Continue cooking for another 5 to 8 minutes or until chickpeas are crisp; use a slotted spoon to remove chickpeas and chorizo from pan and set aside.

4. Add the remainder of the 1/4 cup of oil to the pan; when it’s hot, add spinach and sherry, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook spinach over medium-low heat until very soft and the liquid has evaporated. Add chickpeas and chorizo back to the pan and toss quickly to combine; top with bread crumbs, drizzle with a bit more oil and run pan under the broiler to lightly brown the top. Serve hot or at room temperature.